EGMONT HUNT CLUB.

Patea Mail, Volume XII, Issue 54, 2 June 1899, Page 2

EGMONT HUNT CLUB.

The Meet at Mr Honeyfield’s. On Wednesday afternoon the Egmont hounds were brought down to give this portion of their district a look up, and assembled at the try.sting place about noon, where they were safely housed, horses stabled, and visitors welcomed to a most perfect hunt breakfast by Mr and Mrs lloneyfield, to ■which it is needless to add thorough justice was done. After a very short rest the huntsman made his way to the stables, and being - accompanied by Mr G. Bayly, master of the hounds, Mr E. I’. Symes, deputy-master, Mr Nolan, secretary, and Mr Noake, first whip, made the signal for a general stampede for horses, and all were soon mounted, Mr iloncyficld shewing the most likely spots for finds, and the “ kindly attention ” given to various parts of the more serious obstacles. The hounds looked well, having improved pinto out of recognition since last year, albeit some of them still exhibit a determination “to go on their own.” The merry sound of the horn soon signalled a start, and a hare being found almost immediately “ the play began ” for the human species, but poor puss, after runningashort straight course across the paddocks, where she could he followed without the necessity of negotiating a single jump, was run into in the open and summarily despatched. Another cast was made by Mr Gordon, puss this time racing for the gully facing Wilson road ami the Batea hill, whore the field was immediately thinned down to the officials and one or two straight goers, and down hero the hounds went trespassing and, giving their quarry a rest, tried their luck in the Chinaman’s garden, but they were soon brought back to their work again and took up the trail of the hare, which made up the gully and on into the paddocks on top, and afforded the picture of the day, as the hounds, running keenly on an excellent scent, breasted the hill and gave a merry run of a mile and a half, and again killed after some excellent jumping bad boon afforded. Another cast resulted in another excellent run, some good double ditchers having to lie faced (by those who wont for business, convenient open gates being abundant for the “for inspection” brigade), with a kill at the finish. Another cast found puss running straight into the middle of the hounds, ami it met its happy despatch without much exertion on its part. Another run drove tire hare into forbidden ground when the hounds had to be whipped off, but not until faulty negotiation of wire had emptied a saddle or two. Another puss escaped by taking across the railway line after a good sharp chase, and one more kill completed the day’s work. Amongst tho ladies following wore Misses Connie Wybonrno (splendidly mounted on a bald and faultless jumper), Brower, Ball, Bourke, Bayne, Sheikhs, Turner (2) and Wybonrno, Mosel ames R. Jackson, 0. Symes, A. Symes, and others; and besides those already mentioned Messrs Elliott, .McGovern, 0. Symes, A. Symes, 0. Symes, T. and J. Shoahan, Hustle, Drs Gallon and Harvey and many others, and a very largo number attended in carriages and buggies ; while tho übiquitous cyclist (malo and female) wei'O in evidence, and even pedestrians. After the day’s sport was over visitors ro turned to Mr HonoyikTd’s, Avhcro a sumptuous afternoon tea was provided and thoroughly enjoyed, a pleasant time being spent, until tho more distant residents travelling by train found it necessary to once more take to their horses to prepare for the train ; but a large number remained to enjoy the hospitality of their entertainers until a later hour, the universally expressed hope being that tho Egmont hounds would often bo soon on the fields of Butoa settlors.